The Proposal
by Jacqy's Love
Summary: This is not like the movie it's an AU of Cloud and Aerith's journey to their marriage. Please R&R. CloudxAerith CloudxAeris Clourith Clerith
1. A Dreamy Proposal

_It was a cold night; snow was softly falling from the sky on December 9th, in a small part of Midgar called Fifth St. _

"_Help!" scram Aerith as two men chased her down the dark empty streets. She was selling flowers when all of a sudden two thugs tried to force their way on her. She ran and ran frantically, hoping the men after her would give up and leave her alone. But they kept on after her. The scared brunette ran down an alley, hoping to run into someone that could help her. But it was a dead end; a metal fence blocked her from moving anywhere else. She couldn't give up that easily. She attempted to clime the fence but just as she tried a man pulled her down to the floor, using his full force to throw her to the floor, causing a great deal of pain to her back and head. She kicked and smacked the man, hoping to injure him, but the man's brute strength heavily won over her cold, petite body. "Get off of me!" she shouted as she slapped the man across the face and in return he slammed the back of his hand against her rosy red cheek, almost knocking her out. As she dozed in and out of consciousness, she felt the man pushing her skirt up as the other thug watched the scene, laughing cynically. _

_Just as she accepted she couldn't do anything she heard the other man's laughter end as something hit him across the head, knocking him out cold. She tried hard to see what happened but her tear covered eyes blurred her vision. All of a sudden the man on top of her was pulled off and thrown to the floor. _

_Aerith saw a man dressed in a black jacket with spiky blonde hair lean down and punch the man a few times, knocking him out cold. She closed her eyes from the pain in the back of her head as the man came to her side; "Hey, did they hurt you?" the man's voice was stern yet softened. Aerith couldn't answer but she opened her jade eyes and became lost in his Mediterranean- gaze. _

"_My name is Cloud I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going get you to a hospital…" He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her body then lifted her into his arms. Something about him made Aerith trust him. She rested her head against his toned shoulder and murmured; "I'm Aerith…"_

And that's how Cloud and Aerith met. After he saved her they began to hang out regularly she even came up with her own nickname for him, she'd call him "_Mr. Bodyguard_" in reference to him saving her from the two men. At first, neither of them could admit they liked each other until one night they were at the amusement park called The Golden Saucer. After taking part in a romantic, yet corny, play, Cloud kissed her while on a Gondola; the magical night was the _beginning their relationship_.

xXx

Two years after their first meeting Cloud and Aerith had been dating almost two whole years. In a matter of fact, today was their anniversary of when they first met…

December 9th.

The snow was falling softly, building up on the empty Midgar streets. Cloud held Aerith's hand as they walked through the glistening snow; all of a sudden they stopped on a street called _Fifth St_.

"Cloud, can I open my eyes, now?" Aerith asked through a giggle, her eyes still closed.

"Not yet…" he let her hand go and stepped behind her. Aerith felt the warmth of Cloud's breath against her face as he murmured; "Two years ago, I met the most beautiful," he paused to place a kiss on the temple of her head then continued, "…the kindest," he paused again and kissed her for the second time before finishing; "…and the sweetest woman I ever met." he placed another kiss on her cheek as Aerith teased; "And whom might that have been?"

Cloud smiled against her and continued; "Before I met you, I was alone and didn't care about anyone but myself." He kissed her temple again and added softly; "_I'm a better man because you loved me…"_ Aerith felt her breath locked in her chest as Cloud whispered in her ear; "You can open your eyes…"

Aerith's heart started to beat in a soft rhythm of excitement and anticipation to what he was planning. She felt the warmth of Cloud's body against her back fade and she slowly opened her eyes to see where they were. She spotted a snow-covered sign that read "Fifth St." the area was familiar and Aerith remembered what it was; _it was where her and Cloud first met_. But, why were they there?

Aerith spun around just in time to see Cloud kneeling to the snowy-floor as he pulled out something from his coat pocket. She watched in a daze, her cheeks painted in a light shade of red from the frigid air. She swallowed as she glanced down to what was in his hand; it was a closed small, _velvet black box_. Aerith's heart was now beating faster than ever as she realized _what_ he was doing.

Cloud broke the silence; "Aerith you always say I saved you that day… but in reality, I was the one that was saved—" he paused, gaining her complete attention, _"…by you._" Tears of joy began to build behind Aerith's jade eyes as he continued.

"You saved me from the empty life of a mercenary… you saved me from the lonely thought that… I could _never_ love someone. I used to say I'd never fall in love, and it was a sad way of living."

He paused again briefly then said; "But, you saved from all of that…" he paused again, and his eyes were tenderly gazing at her as he continued; "I want to be the one that saves you now—but, first, you've gotta save me one last time…" he slowly opened the small blue box in his hand, and took out a silver ring. It had one shimmering diamond; the entire band of the ring was shaped as an _infinity symbol_ with small diamonds engraved into the silver.

Aerith glanced back at Cloud, their eyes locking.

"Aerith Evangeline Gainsborough…_will you marry me?_" Cloud took her hand in his and gently slid the ring down her finger.

Aerith felt like the whole world came to a stop as his proposal sunk into her; it was like she was in a dream-land. She couldn't stop the blissful tears from falling as she slowly nodded her head and murmured; "Yes," she sniffled as he stood. When they were face to face, she said through a sniffle and giggle; "Cloud, _I'd love to marry you_..."

A smile spread over Cloud's usually emotionless face from hearing her answer. He had been planning this proposal for a few months, saving up money to get her the best ring—a ring he knew she would love. The ring symbolized the eternal love he had for her. Knowing she said yes and that she would _love_ to marry him, was of his main wishes he could have asked for.

He tipped her head upward with his hand under her chin and pulled her into a chaste kiss; their mouths opening and closing slowly. They broke from the kiss just minute later and Aerith wrapped her arms around him as she buried her face in the bend of his neck. Cloud tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer than before. He moved his hands to her hips and lifted her into the air, her hands were resting on his shoulders as he spun their bodies around. Aerith giggled uncontrollably from the happiness she was feeling.

They were engaged, something Aerith had been waiting for, for the longest time. She was his fiancée and he was her's. Aerith half couldn't believe it, it was too good to be true. But to her wildest dreams, it was all real. Cloud had really proposed to her and soon, they'd be married.

But first, there'd be much planning to do to make their wedding match their dreamy proposal…

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**This is a story I've been thinking about making for a LONG time. I could be wrong, but I don't think there's a story for Cloud and Aerith and their journey to get married. So hopefully you all like this story theme and stick around to read more. **


	2. Wedding Bug

**Sorry it took so long for this to be updated! I hope you forgive me.**

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The first week was like heaven to Aerith. It was a dream come true to be completely honest. This was one of the first steps to starting their life together and she couldn't wait to spread the happy news. To Cloud he was just relieved she said yes. He had been so nervous the previous months. He was terrified that after he proposed she'd realize there could be better than him, despite Aerith seeing him as the bravest, kindest, and sweetest man there could be. It felt like a heavy weight was lifted off his heart as soon as she said "yes", and it was all he could have dreamed. But little did Cloud know how much of a hassle planning a wedding would be… or how crazy it makes woman at times.

In a matter of fact, in the beginning they kept it to themselves. And each day Aerith would ask Cloud if they could tell their friends and he'd reply; "Not yet" or "Soon, Aerith, I promise."—and it slightly aggravated Aerith. She never was mad but she felt annoyed trying to keep such a big secret to herself. She had no one to talk to about it, just herself. She couldn't jump and squeal with her friends. Because of this, Aerith filled the void by watching the women's channels that showed wedding shows, watched movies of weddings, read books, magazines. It shocked Cloud how many wedding-themed things Aerith was diving into all at once. They had only been engaged for a week and Aerith was already showing strong signs of the wedding-bug. But, Cloud didn't really mind, he knew this was a part of the whole wedding thing, the happiness it gives women to plan such a special moment—it was some of the reason why he asked her.

That Christmas eve, Aerith had hoped Cloud and her would inform their friends of their engagement but, it never occurred. Instead of attending their friend's usual Christmas party, Cloud had coaxed Aerith to stay home with him that night. He asked; "_Just so we can be alone._" And how could any woman turn that sweet offer down? And it was a romantic night they had—Cloud, despite hating dancing, even danced with her to some slow Christmas songs. They exchanged a few gifts; Aerith had made Cloud a full sweater, turtle-neck and all, made of all red wool. As she handed him his gift she exclaimed; "I made it all by myself!" and Cloud could tell, the sleeves were lumpy, the stitching was loose, yes, it was obvious she made it herself. But Cloud smiled and accepted it nonetheless. In contrast to making a gift Cloud bought her a silver-set of matching jewelry; one necklace with a small silver heart that had diamonds engraved in it. "Look at the back of the heart…" Cloud insisted sweetly; on it read; "I love you… From _December 9th_ to _Eternity_."

As soon as she read those words Aerith felt like her heart had burst from all the happiness she was feeling. Immediately, she flung her arms around him and began to smother his face and neck with soft kisses that eventually led to them making love.

Again, a week passed and Aerith was going crazy from not being able to tell any of her friends. She even began to show some slight anger towards Cloud, but nothing really upfront or serious. She showed her annoyance by giving him brief glares, by making him sit through more than enough sappy love movies, just small things that Cloud wasn't fond of. Cloud being the observant man he is, knew why she was doing it but tried to ignore it.

It was December 31st, New Years Eve, and Cloud and Aerith were at Tifa's party. All their friends were gathered around, listening to music, dancing, playing charade games, and just having fun. It was closing in on 12:00 AM and Cloud called for the attention of all of their friends. To Aerith's surprise Cloud said; "Aerith and I have something to tell you all…" the group was silent and Aerith swallowed some punch as her heart started beating rapidly.

Cloud looked around the room before locking his gaze on Aerith; "I asked Aerith to marry me…" the room was silent as they were shocked from what he was saying, they weren't sure if she had even said yes. To their surprise Cloud added; "…and she said yes!" a wide smile was spread on his boyish features. And Aerith couldn't believe it, _everyone finally knew_. The secret was finally out, or the cat was out of the bag as some say. Aerith put her drink down and ran into the arms of Cloud just as the New Year countdown started. The friends laughed as they counted down from 10.

"Cloud, you told?" Aerith giggled.

Cid and Barret cheered loudly as they shouted; "9!"

Cloud rose his voice as the room grew louder;"I know."

"Yuffie shouted "8!"

As Cloud began to speak Reeve said 7.

The whole room slowed down and Aerith heard Tifa shout; "6!" She wasn't sure why Cloud told and she didn't care. Everyone now knew they were to be married.

The whole group shouted; "5!" as Cloud leaned down to Aerith and said; "I wanted to make it a special night…"

Cloud kissed Aerith briefly then started shouting the countdown with the others, Aerith joining in. Even though Cloud usually wasn't apart of these fun parties, he decided one time wasn't going to bother him too much… after all, it'd make Aerith happy.

"…4!"

"…3!"

"…2!"

"…1!"

The whole room jumped with excitement as Cloud took Aerith into a chaste kiss as the new year rang in. Confetti and balloons fell from the roof and everyone laughed and cheered as they caught sight of the two kissing.

Now, everyone knew and Aerith could start her planning for the wedding. But where to start?

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**Okay, this took a while, but I've been working on so many new stories-but hopefully this will do until the next chapter. Thank you so much for reading. It means so much :3**


	3. Spring or Summer?

**Jacqy here! I am... SO SO SO sorry for how long I waited to update this fiction. I've been so busy with real life that I just didn't have the time. But I'm here again. And I hope all you lovely readers will read my story again. This chapter is just a little more depth and I know it's not as big as usual but the next chapter will be longer, I promise! So, here's the third chapter, I hope you all enjoy reading it. :)**

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It had been only a week after they announced their engagement to all their friends. It was a first to Cloud to show so much excitement in front of anyone other than Aerith, but he made an exception for her. And, yes, even Cloud couldn't console his happiness over his engagement to Aerith.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that it was Aerith he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. She was everything to him and he wanted to finally show everyone they meet just how much he loved her.

However, words couldn't describe how nervous Cloud was the weeks prior to his proposal. He was nervous for many reasons. What if he messed it up? What if it wasn't how Aerith always pictured it? What if he picked a ring she didn't like? Or worse… what if she said no? These questions plagued Cloud's mind constantly.

Cloud had thought about proposing to her for nearly a year, and if it wasn't for their friends possibly thinking it was rushed he would have done it a long time ago. But, he waited.

It wasn't until one day that Cloud finally decided to tell Vincent. It was around noon when Cloud and Vincent had gotten caught in a battle with a few monsters. As Vincent put one last bullet through a creature's head he noticed Cloud was oddly silent.

_xXx_

"What is it?" Vincent asked.

Cloud looked up at Vincent and saw a beast running towards his friend. Quickly, he rammed his sword through the torso of the monster. As he turned the blade deeper in the beast's flesh, Cloud grunted calmly; "I'm proposing to Aerith,"

Vincent paused briefly and Cloud turned to face him.

"Am I the first you've told?"

Cloud dropped his sword and scratched the back of his head; "Yeah."

"Why now?"

Cloud was taken aback at his question but answered; "Because I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"Well, if you're sure." Vincent turned and carried on with his own work.

Cloud rose an eyebrow at Vincent's odd reply.

"Wait," Cloud's sudden voice caused Vincent to turn back around, "what does that mean exactly, Vincent?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, is that a '_sure, Cloud. Propose to her even though I don't think it's a good idea._' Or, is it a '_Congratulations Cloud. I think this is a swell idea._'" Cloud paused for a moment and noticed his odd wording and added in a quick breath; "Okay, the whole '_swell idea_' thing is really weird, but you get what I'm saying."

Cloud scratched the back of his neck and waited for Vincent's reply. Vincent was like a father figure to Cloud, and his thoughts on this was very important to him.

Just as Cloud was about to speak, Vincent beat him to the chase.

"I hope it turns out as you planned, Cloud."

"Well, do you think it's a good idea?"

"What does it matter what I think? If you wish for it, and you have reason to believe she does, then that's all that matters."

Cloud sat on the ground, as if he were a nervous child. "Yeah, but… I mean, do you think that she… would—" his voice grew quiet as he added; "…say no?"

Vincent crossed his arms and answered calmly; "I've heard her speak about her feelings for you more than once… she loves you. "

Cloud couldn't hide a weak smile as he nodded his head; "Then I'm doing it."

Getting Vincent's blessing was like a green light for Cloud to propose. And at the time, he was missing just one more thing… an engagement ring.

Cloud was far from knowing anything about jewelry. But how hard could it be? It wasn't until he heard Aerith saying how horrid a certain gold ring was that she saw on some television show that Cloud finally understood that how the ring looked meant more than he thought.

He knew only one person fashioned obsessed and brutally honest to a fault—Yuffie. Cloud decided to ask the fashionista not only because her wide knowledge of what looked good but because she was Aerith's friend and that meant she knew exactly what kind of jewelry she liked.

It was midday when Cloud and Yuffie met at the most widely known jewelry store called Liv's; "Geez, Cloud, I am flattered-but not surprised-that you came to me for advise in this sort of department." The ninja leaned downward towards a glass case and peered at each individual ring.

Each one seemed to look more beautiful than the last, and their prices rose noticeably with each one. Money wasn't a worry for Cloud, his business was doing better than great so a price range was practically anything.

"Yuffie, you're Aerith's best friend, you know what type of stuff she likes, so do you see anything she would love?"

"I don't really know why you're shopping here for some jewelry but—I see some stuff, yeah." Yuffie placed her hands on her hips and said; "You do know this is for like, engagement crap, right? It's not like you're marrying her—" the young ninja stopped as realization washed over her face; "WAIT! Are you?"

Cloud was silent as it finally sunk into his friend.

"You're going to… OH MY GAWD! You're proposing to her aren't you?"

Cloud held back a smile and nodded; "Yeah, I am."

"HO-LY CA-RAP! Are you serious, Cloud? Oh, my gawd, I gotta tell her!" The young ninja opened her phone to dial Aerith but Cloud quickly grabbed Yuffie's cell just as she began to dial.

"No! You can't, Yuffie."

"Why the hell not!"

"Because it's a proposal, _it's supposed to be a surprise_."

Yuffie's wide purple eyes gradually gained their normal shape again as she realized she almost spoiled the proposal; "Oh, yeah… Sorry, almost ruined it. Good thing _I stopped myself before I told_."

"So you're not going to tell her, right?"

"Hmm, let me think. What's in it for me?"

Cloud placed his hands on Yuffie's shoulders and stared her in the eyes, intimidation filling the young ninja. "Because… if you tell her, I'll tell everyone about how you made out with Reno."

She gasped at his threat; "You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, I would—but it all falls on whether or not you're going to keep your mouth shut about this."

Yuffie squinted her eyes and thought it over; "Fine, spikey. I won't say a word."

"Good. Let's get back to looking for a ring."

A half an hour went by as they looked through the dozens upon dozens of rings. But no matter how beautiful they were, Cloud felt they fell short of being pretty enough to be on Aerith's hand. Yuffie wasn't one to pay much time to one thing and she was long pass being bored.

"Cloud, I gotta go. We'll check back tomorrow, all right?"

Cloud sighed as he saw Yuffie turning to leave; "Yeah, see ya."

Cloud sighed as he rubbed his forehead. He had to propose to Aerith by the 9th of December and it was already the 4th, but he still didn't have a ring.

"_I guess I can try tomorrow."_

Just as he was about to leave, Cloud stopped and turned towards a glass case they hadn't checked yet. Hopeful to find a ring he thought Aerith would love, he wondered over to the case of rings and glanced across the dozen of bands. And there it was… shimmering in all the prettiest ways, glistening delicately… Finally, a ring beautiful enough to be the wedding ring of Aerith.

"Sir, can I help you?" came a female voice.

Cloud glanced up at the jeweler; "Yeah, I want to see this ring."

The jeweler opened the case and handed Cloud the precious ring his eyes were locked on. He began to examine the engagement ring, making sure it was as perfect as it seemed.

It had one white, round cut diamond in the center. The band of the ring was a delicate infinity symbol. Smaller, shimmering white diamonds paved the white gold lapping marquise shape of the band, giving it a delicate and timeless look unlike any other ring.

Cloud was surprised and half shocked to have found such a perfect ring. He wasn't one to understand jewelry but something about this ring seemed so right; "I want _this_ one."

"Ah, yes, it's a beautiful ring for an engagement, Mr. Strife. You see the infinity band represents eternal love and the _one diamond_ represents the _one_ _person_ you carry that love for. But, it's _expensive_… It's made by _K. Fiore_, the designer. Not only that, but the designer made only one ring of this design, so it's unique _and_ rare. Its price is _7,890, though_. But I assure you, your Mrs. will _adore_ this ring beyond comprehension!"

Cloud smiled and nodded; "I know. That's why I'm buying it."

"Excellent! Just give me a moment and I'll send you on your way."

The jeweler quickly took a small light blue box out of a drawer and placed the engagement ring in the white cushion of the casing. After the ring was safely placed in the box and bag, Cloud paid for it in full. As Cloud walked out of the store he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. He managed to find a ring all by himself. The nervousness he had was fading quickly.

However, the following day prior to his proposal Cloud was once again nervous. He knew Aerith loved him, but there was always that dust size amount of worry that she would say no to the most important question he would ever ask her. On one hand, he was confident she loved him. On the other, with his luck, he was still unsure. But, the only way to find out was for him to ask.

And on the 9th he asked and she said yes.

Aerith had been so excited about it that she was almost always thinking about the wedding. And even though it was still so soon, Aerith couldn't help but think over a good date for the wedding. In a matter of fact, the wedding was all she could think about…

xXx

It was the middle of the afternoon when Yuffie had come over to Aerith and Cloud's house. Lucky for the two woman, Cloud was off at work so the house was all to themselves.

"Ooh, lemme see the ring again, Aerith!"

At her friend's request, she outstretched her hand in front of the ninja. The diamond along with its diamond band glistened beautifully. The infinity shaped band made of white gold caught the sun's rays and caused the small diamonds paving the band to shimmer as if it were snow.

"Isn't it so beautiful?" Aerith proclaimed in bliss.

"Wow! It looks so… so… EXPENSIVE!"

"Yuffie!"

"What! It does! I wonder how much Spikey paid for it?" Aerith peered at her friend and saw how wide eyed the ninja had become over talking about the ring's worth.

"I don't care if it was one gil or a million gil, I still love it."

"Riight. You're telling me if he got this thing from a cracker-jack's box you'd still be as happy?"

Aerith crossed her arms and plopped against the couch, "Yes, of course!"

"Well, then, I guess I should tell you where he got it from. He got it at some random junk store in Wall market."

Aerith's brows forwarded a bit at her friend's tease, she opened her mouth to speak but Yuffie added quickly; "it used to belong to some old lady… or rather some guy that used to dress as an old lady."

The two friends glared at each other for a moment, each one trying to get the other to back down off their own claims.

But, Aerith caved first.

"Okay, fine! I would care if it was from some wacky situation like that."

"I knew it!" Yuffie crossed her arms and a wide proud grin spread on her face. "Told you so."

"Well, what girl would want some guy's ring? That's weird… and creepy. But that doesn't mean I love the ring because of its price."

"Okay," Yuffie started, "change of subject! When's the date?"

Aerith blushed at her question and sat back in the couch. "I don't know. Should we think about that so early?"

"Yes! So have you thought of any dates you like?"

"Well, I really want a spring or summer wedding. I think it'd be pretty. But we haven't talked about it. I was afraid it was too soon."

"You totally have to talk to him about it, especially if it you want to have a spring or summer wedding, Aer."

Aerith sighed; "Yuffie… I don't even know where to start with all this stuff. Should we get a planner?"

"Hmm, I'd do that, but it's up to you and Cloud."

Later that night, Aerith and Cloud were just beginning to fall asleep in bed. She was leaning against Cloud's chest when she thought about the date of the wedding. They had no date set and if she intended it to be a spring or summer wedding she had to get to planning. She knew Cloud wasn't exactly one to discuss something girly like weddings but this involved him too.

Cloud was just about to fall asleep when all of a sudden he felt Aerith's fingers gently brushing across his chest. Cloud smiled weakly and opened his eyes. She was obviously trying to spark something, and he wouldn't mind having some intimacy with her. Swiftly, he turned till he was hovering above Aerith as she lay on her back, placing kisses on her neck and jawline.

Aerith knew if she were going to talk about it, _now_ was the time. As he continued to place kisses on her she spoke in a light voice; "Cloud?"

He placed another kiss on her jaw, working up to the apple of her cheek, he broke the chain of kisses briefly to murmur; "Yeah?" and then continued to kiss her.

"So, I was wondering…" she paused briefly then added; "about the wedding… how do you feel about a spring or summer wedding?"

He broke the kisses for a split second to mumble; "Sounds great," he didn't really care when the wedding happened as long as it did, and as of now, wedding plans _were not_ on his mind. He went back to kissing her neck, working down to her shoulder. Just as he started to really lose himself in the kiss again he heard the light tunes of Aerith's voice say; "Are you sure?"

Cloud lifted his head to look Aerith in the eyes; "Yeah, Aerith, I'm sure." He moved to place a kiss on her mouth but was stopped as Aerith's delicate hands gently held him in place; "Well, I'm just asking because this is something we should both decide on. If you don't like a spring wedding then just say so, okay?"

A weak smile spread on his face as their mouths brushed against each other; "I want whatever makes you happy." He took her mouth in chaste kiss, but it was once again interrupted as Aerith buzzed; "Okay, 'cause I just want us both to love the date we pick."

As he tried to take her mouth in another kiss Cloud replied back; "As long as you're the one walking down the aisle, I'm happy." but the kiss was stopped when Aerith added quickly; "So now that we have a season down, have any specific dates in mind? I was thinking May 15th, but what about you?"

Cloud couldn't help but drop his head in slight disappointment. He looked back up at her; "We're gonna be talking about this for a while, aren't we?"

Aerith bit her lip and nodded.

Cloud sighed, he was a little disappointed but pushed all thoughts away; "All right, you want May 15th… and you want us both to have a part in the decision, right?"

"Right."

"So… what about… July 11th? July the seventh month and it takes place on the 11th, both our birthdays meshed together."

"Hmm, but then our invitations would read out '_mark the date for 7-11_' and I just don't know if that sounds good. And it's a little too far into summer, but it's really good. Let's think of a few more." There was a slight pause but Aerith added blissfully; "Ooh, what about May 7th?"

Cloud thought it over for a moment but then slowly said; "I don't know, I don't like it."

"What? why?"

"I don't know, it just doesn't click for me." Cloud sighed.

"Well, I'm out of ideas then."

The two were silent for a moment before Cloud finally suggested; "What about June 18th? Seven, your birthdate, plus 11, mine, equal 18. And June because it's close to May but close to July and it's still the theme we wanted—spring or summer."

A smile appeared on Aerith's face as she looked up at Cloud. She couldn't believe it, the date sounded perfect.

"I love it." She chimed as she kissed Cloud on the lips. Cloud deepened the kiss, looking forward to this leading to something more but suddenly Aerith broke the kiss again and spoke in an excited voice; "Okay, do you want a traditional wedding in a church or an outdoors wedding?"

Cloud smiled and kissed her on the lips, one of the many things he loved about her was her innocence and seeing her so excited made him happy; "We picked a date, let's figure this out tomorrow."

"Fine," Aerith kissed Cloud back, her arms wrapping around his back securely.

They had finally picked a date, and a great date at that. Now all they had to do was the rest of it.

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**Short, I know. But it's something until this thing starts getting further into the wedding. Also, if you're wondering what ring I'm speaking of, check my profile and scrowl down till you see a link to what Aerith's ring looks like. Or, you can take out the spaces in the below link and paste it to see.  
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h t t p : / / i 5 6 . t i n y p i c . c o m / 2 u g n n s h . j p g

**I hope you all stick around. Thanks for reading, bye. =3  
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	4. Fresh Wedding or Classic?

Aerith thought long and hard for what type of them she wanted their June 18th wedding to be. Even though it had only been a week or two she had it down between a traditional wedding inside of a beautiful Cathedral or a fresh wedding outdoors.

Aerith was making her way to Yuffie's house, thinking deeply about what theme she loved most. An outdoors wedding would be perfect for the warm weather of June. It would allow for the wedding to be close-to-nature, something Aerith loved. But a traditional ceremony in a classic church was something Aerith always dreamt of.

After walking just a short period of time, Aerith made it to her friend's house. She knocked once, then twice but no one answered. It wasn't until the third knock that Aerith heard things falling inside.

"Yuffie?" Aerith mumbled. Curious as to what could possibly be going on inside, Aerith opened the door to the house without being invited. At first glance, she noticed articles of clothing were scattered across the two room apartment building. Her emerald eyes caught notice to the coffee table, the little belongings that once were atop the wooden surface were now on the floor in a mess. Aerith covered her mouth as a gasp escaped her when she realized it looked almost like a burglary. Could Yuffie be hurt? Kidnapped? Frantic with worry, Aerith rushed to Yuffie's room and just as she was about turn the nob of the door she stopped at an odd sound within the room. It sounded like movement… and two people bickering at each other in a whisper.

Aerith lessened the space between the door and her ear and gave it a better listen;

"I thought you said no one was coming here?" she heard a male voice snap in a hushed voice. The male's voice sounded familiar but she couldn't put her finger on who it was.

"I didn't know she was coming today, gawd!" she heard a light voiced woman snap back. Aerith knew the woman's voice—it was Yuffie.

"_Maybe it's a boy she has over_?" Aerith asked herself. Deciding she would leave, Aerith turned away from the door but as she did she heard the male voice utter; "I'm gonna kill you." And without any hesitation at all, she turned back towards the door and flung it open at full force.

"Stay away from my friend!" Aerith shouted with bravery. But as her eyes fell on the sight within the room, she felt a sense of embarrassment spread through her rather than heroicness.

It was a completely naked Reno, to his left was a small framed ninja, a bed sheet wrapping around her body acting as her toga. Quickly, Aerith blushed to the whites of her eyes and apologized as she slammed the door behind her and made her way out of the house.

She had planned on talking with her friend about what kind of wedding theme, but after that, there was no way she could face her today!

"Maybe I could go ask Tifa?" Aerith wondered.

The frigid winter air nipped at her face as she made her way to her friend's house. After only 15 minutes she finally made it. And this time, Aerith rang the bell, not wanting to accidently see something she shouldn't. She waited… and waited… and waited but there was no one in. She sighed and turned away from the steps and left.

"Who else could I ask?" Aerith thought. Yuffie was obviously out. Tifa was gone. Another sigh escaped Aerith. "I should just head home," she thought defeated.

Not wanting to waste the day completely, Aerith decided to take a stroll through town. It was always pretty in winter so at least she could go sightseeing. As she walked through the snow-covered streets, window shopping. She noticed a Wedding dress store.

She stopped, peering into the window. It was much too soon to shop for a dress… wasn't it? Dismissing the thought, Aerith found her way inside of the wedding gown store. It was so fancy, so elegant and warm. Dozens of embroidered white gowns were placed in the open, each one looking so elegant any woman wearing it would feel like a princess. Just for fun, Aerith picked up the price tag for one dress in particular. Her jaw dropped as she saw that the price was ranged at 11.000G. She quickly dropped the tag and moved on to other gowns. As she browsed, a male approached her,

"May I help you, miss?" his voice was light and cheery. As Aerith turned to see who was addressing her she saw that he was tailored in a fine white pin-striped suit, his black hair slicked back.

Aerith moved a piece of her hair from her eyes and answered; "Oh, no, no, no. I'm not shopping for a dress today." Noticing the diamond ring on Aerith's finger, the man interjected immediately; "But, that is an engagement ring, no?"

Blushing, Aerith answered softly; "Yes, but it's really too soon to be picking out gowns." The tailored man clicked his tongue; "Tsk, tsk. Don't be silly, honey. It's never too soon to look at gowns. The earlier the better!"

The man waltzed behind Aerith and begin to push her towards the back area of the store. He sat her on a comfy white couch and took a seat beside her. Aerith noticed tall mirrors were placed in front of her.

"So…" the man began; "Have any ideas?" Aerith paused and allowed his question to sink in.

"Well," she started slowly, "I'd just love anything elegant… classic. I just want something timeless… definitely nothing over the top."

"Ahh," the man added as he got up and made his way to the back of the store. After a few moments he came out with a gown; "Go try this one on, sug." Aerith hesitated for a moment… "_Shouldn't my friends be here?_" She thought. She heard the man dangle the dress, gaining her attention… "Oh, _It's just for fun,"_ Aerith argued to herself. She quickly leapt to her feet and took the dress and ran to the dressing room. The man waited outside for a few moments and finally Aerith came out in an all white ball gown. She looked in the mirror and caught sight of her image. She looked all right… but it didn't feel right. A sigh escaped her as she plopped on to the couch.

Catching the displeased look on her face; the man took a seat next to her. "What's the matter, sweetheart? You look so down in the dumps."

Unsure why, Aerith decided to talk to this complete stranger. "Well, my boyfriend—I mean fiancé, proposed the first week of December. We managed to pick a date—June 18th—but now I'm stuck with what type of wedding theme to have. I tried asking my friends but both of them are… _busy_ at the moment."

"Ah, I see. Why don't you ask your fiancé?" the man questioned.

"Well, I would… but he's not very, what's the word… comfortable about talking about this sorta thing… he's more of the 'I-mess-around-with-cars-and-hate-wearing-tuxedoes-sort of man', if you get what I mean…"

"I see," the man said slowly. "Well, if he's your fiancé he's a part of this too. Whether or not he likes doing it, he asked you to marry him now he's got a part to fill."

"I know… I just don't want to pressure him, that's all."

"Well, I can help you." The man suggested.

"Really?" Aerith asked, shocked by his nice offer.

"Sure, sug. What are you having trouble with?"

"Okay," Aerith began as she adjusted in her seat; "It's a summer wedding. I really love gardening and nature. And I've always loved the old fashioned weddings in a church. But I'm caught between which one to choose? An outdoors wedding or a church wedding?"

The man looked to his lap, thinking it over… "Outdoors. And it should be on a beach. I would so have a beach wedding. It'd be to-die-for!"

Aerith couldn't help her face scrunch together at hearing his suggestion. That wasn't her kind of thing at all. But at least she had someone helping her. Just like that, the clock struck 5:00 and Aerith decided it'd be best to make her way home before it got any darker. She got back into her winter clothes, and said goodbye to the kind man.

The wind had started to pick up, snow gently falling from the peach colored sky. A half an hour later, she made it to her house. Cloud's vehicle was in the drive way which meant he was home. Quickly, Aerith made her way into the warmth of their house hoping to see her fiancé.

She unbuttoned her winter coat, flung off her white gloves and kicked away her snow boots, revealing a white long sleeved, knee length turtle-neck dress. She skipped across the hardwood floor, trying to escape the nippy cold of the wood. She was standing behind the couch, looking into the kitchen area.

When she didn't see the blonde anywhere, she called out to her fiancé; "Cloud?"

Instantly, Cloud replied. "Hey," she jumped at the sound of his voice sounding so close. She turned and saw that Cloud was lying on the couch. She slowly made her way to the other side of couch, and as she came closer, Cloud tugged her down, her body falling against the warmth of his own body. He caught notice how cold she felt as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.

"You're freezing."

Smiling Aerith nuzzled her face into the cotton feel of his dark gray shirt. She heard Cloud add quickly; "Where were you?" Aerith took a breath and answered; "No where, really." Cloud arched an eyebrow at her answer, and rolled over until it was her body against the cushion of the sofa, his body gently pinning her. "Really?" he said, not fully believing her.

"Well, I went to go see Yuffie. But when I got there, I thought I heard someone breaking in. So, naturally, I entered her place. I heard this weird sound coming from her room. But when I got there, I ended up walking in on her and a guy."

"A guy?" Cloud repeated.

"Yeah, that's not the weird part. Guess who it was. Try. Just try and guess." Aerith said astonished.

Without sparing a moment, Cloud said his guess (which he knew was more like a fact);

"Reno."

Aerith's mouth went agape when he guessed right. "How the heck did you know that!" She demanded.

"I've seen them making out a couple of times." Cloud answered, unphased by the information.

"You have? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Had to use something as blackmail against Yuffie." Cloud tried to hold a serious face but Aerith's small giggle broke his stern expression. As Aerith gazed into Cloud's eyes, she thought of the wedding. She remembered what the man at the store had told her and made up her mind.

"Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering… what do you like better… a wedding outside or a wedding in a church?"

Cloud's eyes fell for a moment as he thought of the right answer. Aerith assumed Cloud was going to say 'anything you want I want' or something vague like that. But what he really said almost shocked her;

"I like the idea of a wedding in a church. Call me old fashioned but I just think it's better." Aerith blinked at his answer. She was a little taken aback at him honestly having an answer about something dealing with the wedding but she had to ask him why; "Why do you like it so much?" her voice was slow but steady.

Cloud took a breath; "I think it matches you."

"Matches me?" Aerith repeated softly, not understanding what he meant.

"Yeah, it's elegant and sweet… _like you_. I've just— always imagined us getting married in a church. And if you wanna know what I'd prefer, it'd be the church. But if you want—" before he could finish, Aerith placed her delicate index finger over his lips; "I," she started, her voice a low murmur; "would love to get married in a church."

A weak smile formed on Cloud's face before he placed a chaste kiss on her nose.

"Good," Cloud breathed against her. A few seconds passed by and Cloud abruptly got off the couch. "I'm gonna order some Chinese food, all right?"

"Okay." Aerith chimed happily. Aerith couldn't hide the smile forming on her face. Not only did they pick the theme but she learned that what they decided on was really something Cloud liked. She closed her eyes happily and let the accomplishment soak into her.

"_If I want to have the wedding in June we have to get looking for the right church fast!_" Aerith thought.

* * *

**Hey, sorry this took so long. I've been trying to update my other fanfic(Hey, I'm Sexy Too) for the last couple of weeks. But I needed a break from it to write the next chapter for this.** **It's a pretty short chapter but the next couple of chapters should be much much more full. **

**Thanks for reading! Stay tuned!**

**Comments are great to get, guys.**


	5. February flies by

February 17th… Finding the Places

Today was the day, Aerith thought, the day where she and Cloud would find the perfect church for the marriage ceremony. After a short drive through downtown they arrived at the first church to see.

At first glance, Aerith noticed how simple and old the church appeared. It was small, and made of brown and gray bricks. There was a simple bell tower, with an old broken bronze bell. Since it was the middle of February there was a light dusting of snow covering the surrounding area around the simple church. There wasn't much greenery, which was to be expected in the city let alone the dead of winter. But Aerith was expecting to at least see what the church could possibly look like in the summertime. However, there wasn't even any bear trees to see, no bushes, not even any grass. It was concrete all the way around the church.

As the two stood and looked at the church, Cloud caught notice to Aerith's face which seemed to be saying a big no to this specific church.

"Let's go see the other church." Aerith heard Cloud suggest. Happily, Aerith nodded and got back in the car with Cloud and hurried to the second church.

It was a large, one floor, red bricked church. There were large windows lining across the front wall of the church. The area around the church had just as little greenery as the last church, if not less. Instead of leaving, Aerith decided to at least see the inside of this church.

As they arrived inside of the church, Aerith noticed there were chairs lining down the walkway. And leading to a small alter was a velvet red carpet. There were no large panes of stained glass to shine beautifully. It was really rather quite plain.

Aerith and Cloud glanced at each other and without saying anything at all, they knew exactly what the other was thinking.

They quickly left the church and headed off to find more. Throughout the day Cloud and Aerith visited all sorts of different styled churches. It was around 4:00 when they arrived at the last church. This church had to be the most beautiful church Aerith had ever seen. It was a large, gothic Cathedral made of old stone. Large sets of stained glass arch windows lined both sides of the church's sides. Above the large door was another stained glass window shaped like a big flower. Surrounding the Cathedral's front area, was a long stone pathway leading to the door steps of the Cathedral. There wasn't much more greenery then the last churches, but at least this one had some flower bushes.

Pleased at what she was seeing, Aerith took Cloud's hand and made their way into the church. Immediately as the doors opened, winter's warm sun shined through the stained glass, creating beautiful images in all the colors of the rainbow against the marble floor of the Cathedral. Instantly, Aerith felt a smile form on her face. She walked further into the building, glancing between the wide sets of church chairs lining down the pathway that led to the alter made of white marble. Seeing the place where she and Cloud could be wed at, Aerith made her way to the top of the steps of the alter. Cloud stayed behind, glancing at the richly designed stone walls. Slowly, Aerith examined the Cathedral. It was perfect. There wasn't one thing about the building that Aerith didn't love.

"Cloud," she began with a smile, catching his attention, "This is the church!" Cloud smiled and nodded. A few minutes passed by and the two found themselves talking with the head priest of the Cathedral.

"So, you've made a great choice in choosing this Cathedral to be wed at. " The old priest took out a large brown leather book and inked a pen to begin writing. "We need a date you'd like…"

"June 18th." Aerith grinned sweetly. The old man began to write down the date of June 18th but stopped, "Name to file this under?"

"Cloud Strife and Aerith Gainsborough." Cloud answered. They watched intently as the man wrote down the names next to the date. "And at what time would you like the ceremony to take place?" the priest asked.

Cloud and Aerith glanced at each other for a moment then, finally, in unison they answered; "3:00PM." The old man smiled and wrote that down as well.

"Finished." He proclaimed happily. He closed the book and placed it besides his desk shelf.

Cloud couldn't lie, he was worried this Cathedral would cost an arm and a leg to use for a day, so he asked hesitantly; "Now," Cloud started, "What's the price?"

The old man smiled and rose to his feet; "About 4500G. Not that much." Nothing could describe the swift kick Cloud felt when he heard how much it'd cost to rent this Cathedral. He looked to Aerith to attempt to tell her they couldn't do this price, but when he saw the wide grin on her face he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Despite his better judgment telling him this was too much, he decided to go with it.

As they rode away from the church, Cloud couldn't help but see the beautiful smiled spreading from ear to ear on Aerith's face. "If she loves it… it's worth it." He thought to himself.

February 26th…. A few weeks later, Cloud and Aerith searched for the place where they could hold their reception. It had to match the classic vibe of the church Aerith would tell Cloud. And so, they searched high and low. They had looked at all sorts of places. The first place they saw was a dance club. And as soon as they made it inside, Cloud and Aerith knew it wasn't the place for them. The second one wasn't as bad but rather too modern. It was a plain building room, but above the dance floor area was a large crystal chandelier. The glass windows provided a great vision of scenery in the summer. However, the view of the city wasn't exactly what Aerith looked forward to.

It was the last one they visited that really made the difference. It was a classic 5 star restaurant. The place they wanted to use for their reception was a large round shaped room made of glass, small planks of wide paneling dividing the large glass segments into thinner panes of glass. There was no roof, just glass windows. Aerith loved this, it would provide scenery of the summer's image of plants and flowers outside. The floor of the room was made of light brown wood. And since the room was so large, it seemed perfect for the amount of guests that would come. Around the edges of the room were placed small sets of tables and chairs. Plus, it was only a short distance from the Cathedral.

Cloud looked over at Aerith and saw another smile on her face. Not needing anything to be said Cloud turned to the man who owned the restaurant and said; "We'll take it."

* * *

**Phew… The two finally found a place for the ceremony and reception! This things finally on a roll, huh? C: I have no idea whether or not a church to rent for a marriage ceremony actually costs that much, I just made a price. ^_^ By the way, if you'd like to see pictures of said church and reception house. Please look at my profile. Or click these links…**


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